Second Chances
by forever-taken
Summary: Korra's POV during the whole time she was powerless in the SWT without her bending. WARNING: Some thoughts of suicide, nothing explicit, but better safe than sorry. Give me feedback please!


**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I do not own any characters in this story. I always wondered what was going through Korra's mind as she stared over the cliff and this came out.**

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I sit and keep my eyes shut as the water runs over me. Katara knows what she's doing, she can fix me. Any second now I'll feel the warmth of firebending, the security of the earth, and the movements of water all around me. I just have to be patient.

All of a sudden the water retracts with a sigh, "I'm sorry."

My eyes fly open, "What do you mean? You're not done are you?"

Katara closed her eyes, "I have searched and found no part that I can heal. The wound Amon caused is spiritual, I do not have the powers to fix that."

I close my eyes shaking and sit in my meditating pose. Katara hesitates before going into the other room. I can hear her telling everyone. My eyes water, a life with no bending. I think about everything I've ever known, everything I am. It is all bending, it's who I am. I clench my hands into fists and press them into my eyes, I have no life without bending in it. I am nothing. That's when the thought hits me: I have nothing left, no legacy to leave behind. I could start the cycle over, let the next Avatar take over. At first I try to knock it away, but it makes so much sense. Why stay and be pitied for my state, when I could move on and let the next Avatar start anew. I think about everyone in the next room, I can't leave them behind. I take a deep breath and think about the greater good. It's for the best, I conclude. I step out of my room and see everyone staring at me, pitying me. Tenzin tries to tell me it'll be okay, but it's not. It never will be. I leave when Mako comes chasing after me. "Go away."

He looks at me, "I will, but I just want you to know, I'm here for you."

I look at him, "No, I mean, go away, back to Republic City. Get on with your life."

Mako frowns at me, "What are you talking about?"

It hurts so much to say it, but I force the words out, "I'm not the Avatar anymore. You don't need to do me any favors."

Mako grabs my arm as I try to turn away. He seems to be having more trouble than me vocalizing his feelings, "I don't care if you're the Avatar or not. Listen, when Tarrlok took you I was losing my mind at the thought of never seeing you again, I realized..." He stops, taking a deep breath, "I love you, Korra."

I freeze, no this can ruin everything. I pull away, afraid, "I... I can't." I hop on Naga and we run. We run to the edge of the cliff that I used to practice waterbending on occasionally. I look over it and think about how easy it would be to drop. A single step, no bending required. A long fall that just thinking about creates a pit in my stomach. Then... peace. I look down and take a deep breath, reaching my foot out. I'm shaking. Everything is blurry and I'm shaking. I can't do it, I'm a coward. I've been called a half-baked Avatar my whole life, but even if I have to live out the rest of my life being an even worse half-baked Avatar, it's better than ending things. I could just be a recluse, live alone unless needed. Who would need an airbending-only Avatar anyways? I can't stop crying, imagining my awful life, when I hear footsteps. I turn to see orange robes, "Not now Tenzin, I just want to be left alone."

"But you called me here."

I look up mystified, "Aang!"

He smiles at me, "You have finally connected with your spiritual self."

I wipe my eyes, "How?"

All of a sudden, all the past Avatars appear behind Aang, "When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change." He places his hands on my forehead and heart and a surge of power and knowledge flows through me. I can see so many things, playing out at once. I see myself stepping off the cliff. Mako runs over, a second too late. He screams and flames surge everywhere. I see everyone crying, all about me. I see memorial services all through the Four Nations. I see a small boy born, the new Avatar. I see Mako and Bolin, only older, visiting a grave. It has my name on it. Mako cries. Then light flashes, I see myself again. I see myself bending all four elements. I see my friends and family, happy. I see myself restoring bending to everyone who lost it. I see hundreds of people using their new bending to better the world. I see myself holding my stomach, completely enlarged. I smile and Mako comes up behind me, hugging me from behind. The light ends, Aang is giving me a choice.

Warmth flows in my belly, liquid flows through my body, and the earth trembles at my feet. I rise up 20 feet in the air, suspended by my own bending. I pull the water around me in a flowing ring. Fire surges outward following. The earth quakes at the rise of my hands. I have the power. I have the knowledge to fix things. I set foot on the ground again and feel eyes on my back. I turn and Mako is there. He saw everything. He smiles at me and I race towards him. He scoops me up and twirls me around. There is a light in his eyes, happiness overflowing. I smile and place my hand on his cheek, "I love you too." I kiss him and the warmth envelops us.

We take our time returning to the compound, but when we do, I hold up my hand and light a flame. All eyes come to me. I lift the water from the earth and swirl it up my arm, around my torso. I pull some loose rocks up into my fist, then shoot them into the air. My parents weep, Katara smiles, Tenzin and Pema hug their children, Bolin simply cheers loudly. Mako slips his arm around my waist and hugs me, he's proud. I pull some of the larger rocks into a loose semicircle around the compound building and ask Lin to join me on the stairs. "Lin, could you please kneel?" She smiles at me and complies. I tilt her head back and place my hands the way Aang had, light surges around us. I feel power at my fingertips, flowing to Lin's body. She feels it too, I can see it as she stands. With a single swooping motion of her arms, all the rocks rise at once. Cheers erupt from everyone and she thanks me. I bow to her and silently thank Aang for giving me a second chance.


End file.
